Synopses & Reviews
In The Narrow Door, Paul Lisicky creates a compelling collage of
scenes and images drawn from two long-term relationships, one with a
woman novelist and the other with his ex-husband, a poet. The contours
of these relationships shift constantly. Denise and Paul, stretched by
the demands of their writing lives, drift apart, and Paul’s romance
begins to falter. And the world around them is frail: environmental
catastrophes like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, natural disasters
like the earthquake in Haiti, and local disturbances make an unsettling
backdrop to the pressing concerns of Denise’s cancer diagnosis and
Paul’s impending breakup. Lisicky’s compassionate heart and resilience
seem all the stronger in the face of such searing losses. His
survival — hard-won, unsentimental, authentic — proves that in turning
toward loss, we embrace life.
Review
"Breathtaking and heartbreaking." Publishers Weekly
Review
“Lisicky realized a painful truth. The closer he got to people, the more
he had to acknowledge their freedom to die and/or leave him. With
empathy and emotional finesse, the author renders the fragility of
interpersonal connections, and he offers insight into the complicated
nature of the human heart. Honest and compassionate.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
“Intelligent and intimate, fierce and tender, real and raw, Paul Lisicky’s The Narrow Door is an unforgettable memoir about love and loss, friendship and forgiveness. It had me in its thrall from page one.” Cheryl Strayed
About the Author
Paul Lisicky is the author of four books, including Famous Builder and The Burning House.
He has received fellowships from the NEA and the Michener/Copernicus
Society, among others. He teaches in the MFA program at Rutgers
University-Camden.